keezdiver
12-09-2003, 07:30 PM
was out doing reef surveys today (tuesday the 9th) from about Taverneir creek south to Indian Key.
wind was STRONG out of the east, 20-25 sustained all day, but luckily the current was flowing east as well, which was keeping the waves to a (barely) tolerable 4-5 average, coming in nice sets.
the inshore water was crap, it was milky out to about 3 or 4 miles. we were able to get into some real nice clear water, one site had 75+ ft of vis measured with a secchi disk horizontally, and several others were about 50ft. the bad water seemed to extend out to about the 30ft line on the reef. and within 100 yards it would go from 10ft of vis to 50+.
so some of the shallower patch reefs and outter reef crest is clear and shootable, while some are not as good. it really seemed to depend on the shape of the reef and the amount of silt being brought out by the tide (vis was dropping noticably while diving, within 10 minutes even)
water temp was variable, on the surface it was about 78, while on the bottom it varied from about 75.5 in some deeper places with a noticable thermocline, to about 77 in others. the thermoclines didn't seem to be holding the suspended particles like they were last week, but that could be due to a steeper cline that i experienced last week further south (marathon area).
i was diving with a full 3mm suit, was relatively comfortable at most of the spots, noticably cool in the one deeper spot that had the cline. HOWEVER, our dives are typically 20 mins long, i think if i were to be spearing in the 40-50 ft range for more than 45 minutes i would have been quite chilled. a hooded vest would have cured this yet maintained good flexability.
now for the fish we saw
Hogfish hogfish and more hogfish.
the males are coming onto the reef in hordes. on every dive i saw at least one male hog that was 18-22" long. and there were plenty of legal females scurrying around with them. look for the bigger ones in the low relief patches which have plenty of sand around. this is where the females congragate, and the males are moving in to find them. you can actually sit and watch as they do their little "mating" routine trying to impress the girls with their color and by extending their long dorsal fins.
the large red grouper seem to be more prevailent, i saw 3 or 4 legal ones today, including one NICE beast that easily would have measured 30-32".
havn't seen any yellowtail, and one dive today was about 200yrds behind a guy chuming.
been seeing some nice mangroves moving onto the reef. they seem to be a bit deeper, but i've seen several that easily would measure out at 20"
the water has been murkey enough that i think all the reclusive blacks and gags have been evading us before we can see them.
well that is all, i may be out tomorrow for another ass kicking...what can i say...i'm a glutton for punishment.
that is all
talk amongst yourselves
wind was STRONG out of the east, 20-25 sustained all day, but luckily the current was flowing east as well, which was keeping the waves to a (barely) tolerable 4-5 average, coming in nice sets.
the inshore water was crap, it was milky out to about 3 or 4 miles. we were able to get into some real nice clear water, one site had 75+ ft of vis measured with a secchi disk horizontally, and several others were about 50ft. the bad water seemed to extend out to about the 30ft line on the reef. and within 100 yards it would go from 10ft of vis to 50+.
so some of the shallower patch reefs and outter reef crest is clear and shootable, while some are not as good. it really seemed to depend on the shape of the reef and the amount of silt being brought out by the tide (vis was dropping noticably while diving, within 10 minutes even)
water temp was variable, on the surface it was about 78, while on the bottom it varied from about 75.5 in some deeper places with a noticable thermocline, to about 77 in others. the thermoclines didn't seem to be holding the suspended particles like they were last week, but that could be due to a steeper cline that i experienced last week further south (marathon area).
i was diving with a full 3mm suit, was relatively comfortable at most of the spots, noticably cool in the one deeper spot that had the cline. HOWEVER, our dives are typically 20 mins long, i think if i were to be spearing in the 40-50 ft range for more than 45 minutes i would have been quite chilled. a hooded vest would have cured this yet maintained good flexability.
now for the fish we saw
Hogfish hogfish and more hogfish.
the males are coming onto the reef in hordes. on every dive i saw at least one male hog that was 18-22" long. and there were plenty of legal females scurrying around with them. look for the bigger ones in the low relief patches which have plenty of sand around. this is where the females congragate, and the males are moving in to find them. you can actually sit and watch as they do their little "mating" routine trying to impress the girls with their color and by extending their long dorsal fins.
the large red grouper seem to be more prevailent, i saw 3 or 4 legal ones today, including one NICE beast that easily would have measured 30-32".
havn't seen any yellowtail, and one dive today was about 200yrds behind a guy chuming.
been seeing some nice mangroves moving onto the reef. they seem to be a bit deeper, but i've seen several that easily would measure out at 20"
the water has been murkey enough that i think all the reclusive blacks and gags have been evading us before we can see them.
well that is all, i may be out tomorrow for another ass kicking...what can i say...i'm a glutton for punishment.
that is all
talk amongst yourselves